9-year-old boy brought to tears by Coast Guard dad's surprise at Cleveland Indians game
The Cleveland Indians may have lost their game against the Minnesota Twins last Tuesday, but the game was very special for one little boy and his family.
Nine-year-old Sasha Lieb was at the game with his mom and 6-year-old brother, Jonah, WEWS reports. Sasha was chosen to participate in a game between innings. The game was modeled after the game show "Deal or No Deal."
Sasha was shown three silver briefcases and had to pick one to save, then had to choose one to open. Before he could make his choice, the game announcer had him look at the Jumbotron.
"Somebody special wants to weigh in on which case you should pick," the announcer said. "So if everybody could take a look at Tribe TV, your dad, Tim Lieb, U.S. Coast Guard chief petty officer -- he's stationed in Guantanamo Bay -- would like to say a few words."
The audience turned their attention to the big screen and saw Sasha's dad. The sight brought tears to the boy's eyes. He managed to keep it together while he watched his dad's video message.
"Hey, Jonah, Sasha, I'm sorry I couldn't be there today with you, but I heard about 'Deal or No Deal,'" Lieb said. He told Sasha which case he should save, then ended his message with the Indians' chant, "Go Tribe!"
Sasha took his dad's advice and chose which case to open. Little did he know, the game was rigged, and his dad was in on it.
"Let's see what's inside, is it the $500 [prize]?" the announcer asked. As the case was opened, the announcer revealed "it is something a little better than a dollar amount." Instead of money, it was a sign with the words "I'm home."
Sasha was shocked by the reveal. He turned around and saw his dad, dressed in his Coast Guard uniform, was walking toward him. After a year at Guantanamo Bay, he was home.
Sasha and his little brother ran into their dad's arms. The 9-year-old had held his tears back earlier, but now, he let them stream down his face. Lieb give his boys a tight hug.
The Indians captured the whole "Deal or No Deal" game and reveal on camera and shared it on Twitter. Over 150,000 people viewed the dad's homecoming and nearly 1,400 retweeted the heartwarming video.
Sasha's game of "Deal or No Deal" may have been rigged, but it ended up being the best deal of his life.
